Antimicrobial efficacy of Entada abyssinica rootbark extracts.

Abstract

Phytochemical screening of the rootbark extracts of Entada abyssinica using standard methods revealed the presence of alkaloids, saponins, flavonoids, steroidal nucleus, tannins and digitalis glycosides. The in vitro antibacterial and antifungal efficacy of the extracts in comparison with commercial antimicrobial agents were studied using the agar-well diffusion method against some Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and some fungal strains. The results showed that the methanolic extract of the rootbark was quite active against all tested bacterial and fungal strains. The extract significantly inhibited the growth of Gram-negative Salmonella typhi and Escherichia coli where chloramphenicol, ciprofloxacin and ampicilin failed. The methanolic extract and the n-butanol soluble portion of the methanolic extract also significantly inhibited the growth of Candidas albicans, an activity similar to that of terbinafine. In conclusion, the plant extract could be explored for possible antimicrobial agents after further work has been done to isolate and characterize the active constituents responsible for the observed effects and their minimum inhibitory concentration determined.